Page 55 of Falling for the Orc All-Star

She loves something about me. My heart attempts a pirouette, then keeps going in dizzy leaps and bounds.

She’s going to watch the video. What if she loves it? What if she hates it? Should I have blurred out her face? Oh, God, I really am dumb...

“He’s filming you! Talking aboutyou!” Mrs. Y points to my phone screen as I stare at it, mouth open.

King just told the world I’m the one. His motivation. His reason to keep fighting. He called me amazing, giving, badass, kind, and big-hearted. And beautiful. He looked at all the pretty, perfect girls, and then put the lens on me, and said I’m the prettiest one of all. At least to him.

I’m his person.

“Aren’t you going to kiss him or something?” Mrs. Y digs me in the ribs.

“I’m going to do more than that,” I promise.

Chapter Eighteen: Winning

“Three to one. One more game in this series.” King sighs and flexes his hand.

“And two hundred autographs, Mr. All-Star. I’m surprised you have any voice left. How many videos did you post?”

“Oh. I don’t know. Twenty?”

“I stopped watching after the third one so I could be in the moment. I’ll watch the rest later, but I glanced at a few. My phone was going insane with comment notifications. People loved them.”

“Good.”

“Iloved them.” I put the car into drive once King is finally crammed into the passenger seat. “You want to go to Jax Alley with the rest of the team?”

“No. I... I think I’d rather go somewhere with you. This wasn’t much of a date, and we have a game on Sunday, then the team is in Cleveland, then back here... It’d probably be hard to get into a routine with someone who was gone half the week, every other week, from October to April, huh?”

I laugh. “Not for someone who grew up like I did. Family doesn’t mean you have to be in the same room all the time.”

“The good thing is that our schedule rotates between the same ten teams for most of the season, until we get to the playoffs.Ifwe get to the playoffs. So I’d mostly be on the East Coast. You know. If I have another season. And right now I don’t have to go to the away games. I need to be here, with you. I mean, here for my physical therapy appointments.”

We wait at the intersection in a line of stadium traffic. “I think partners have to learn to put up with things like that. It’s all about whether they can handle the routine.”

King nods, then swallows. I can hear the clicking in his throat. “My routine might change. Iwantit to change in some ways, I mean, I want time for important things, like helping at Hilltop Home, and making time for you. Taking the dogs to the park.” King’s tense face turns dreamy.

“Look, as someone who moved around a lot, had to get used to new towns, new schools, and then working in the medical field—you learn to adapt. I’m a flexible person.”

“I know. I’m grateful.”

We both say nothing more, pretending our brains aren’t going to naughty places where “flexible” means something physical. In my case, being sprawled on a bed, bent into a semi-circle with one leg thrown over King’s shoulder, while shamelessly riding his hand until a fountain erupts on his face and chest.

“I’m sorry if I said too much. Earlier. Or in the video.”

“I loved what you said. I loved the video,” I blurt. “I love... I love all these ideas, but I think we need to go slower. Get into the routine you’re going to have, and see if I fit. Keep building on the way.”

“Okay!” King practically bounces in his seat. “That’s awesome! Oh my God, that’s the best win, even knowing you want this to work... Oh. Wow. I feel like someone lifted a barbell off my chest. So. It’s late. Home?”

“Home? My place?”

One day it could be his place, too. Or I could move in with him. His house is bigger. The yard is bigger. It’s right in the center of town, which is so convenient, so close to the park and the Night Market.

My thoughts detour from the road, and I have to force them back.

“I’d love to go back to your place. I have clothes in my bag. I always do, it’s my gear bag. I wasn’t presuming.”

“I know you weren’t. That’s another thing I love about you,” I whisper, and lean over to kiss him when the light turns red.